Traditional Halloween Desserts: Explore Classics Like Toffee Apples and Pumpkin Pies

When your surroundings take on the hues of orange and yellow, and the days become shorter, it can mean only one thing – Halloween is just around the corner. This spooky season is the perfect time to gather in the kitchen to make traditional Halloween desserts that will delight poltergeists and goblins of all ages.

Toffee Apples

A traditional candy from Halloween, Toffee Apples are both sweet and sticky, and absolutely yummy treats for this day. A popular legend associated with the origin of toffee apples claims that a confectioner in Newark was looking to expand his sales around Christmas, and figured that decorating his window display with an apple coated in brightly colored sugar may grab more than a few eyeballs. The treat eventually became a Halloween staple because of apple’s pop culture association with concepts of evil and sin.

Ingredients:

• 3 apples
• 251 gm sugar
• 122 ml water
• 123 ml corn syrup
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• Wooden sticks
• Edible glitter (optional)
• Cocoa powder (optional)

Method:

1. You have to start by inserting wooden sticks or skewers into the cores of apples, being careful so that the apples don't fall apart.
2. Then, mix sugar, water, and light corn syrup in a medium saucepan.
3. After that, you need to put the saucepan over fire, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves.
4. Once you bring this mixture to a boil, you can lower the heat to medium-low.
5. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until it reaches 150 C on your kitchen thermometer. It is imperative to use the kitchen thermometer for this step instead of relying solely on instincts. This is because sugar tends to react differently to different temperatures.
6. Then, you need to turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
7. After that, you have to carefully dip each apple in hot toffee, immersing it completely. Use latex gloves or kitchen mittens to protect your hands while doing this step. Caramelized sugar is much hotter than boiling water, and can burn your fingers and hands if not handled carefully.
8. Once done, place the coated apples on a parchment-lined baking tray and let the sugar coating harden.
9. Before serving, you can add a dash of cocoa powder to give them that mysterious and dark look. Or you can brush golden lustre dust on it to make it look like a golden apple decorative accent. In addition, you can also melt white chocolate tinged with green food color, cut out leaf shapes with cookie cutters, and use it to decorate your toffee apple.

Pumpkin Pies

Ingredients:

• 250 gm pumpkin puree
• 125 gm cream
• 100 gm sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger
• 3 eggs
• 2 pie crusts

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.
2. Then, add pumpkin puree, heavy cream, granulated sugar, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground ginger in a large bowl, and whisk them all together very well.
3. After that, you have to carefully beat eggs into the mixture until perfectly mixed. Incorporate the eggs one by one into the mix.
4. Next, you need to roll out pie crusts and line them into a pie dish.
5. Then, pour the pumpkin puree mix into the pie crust, and bake for 40-50 minutes in the oven.
6. Let your dessert cool completely before you slice it into pieces, and serve it with a generous dollop of whipped cream topped with orange zest and a dusting of cocoa powder and cinnamon sugar.

Ghostly Marshmallow Treats

These are cute marshmallow treats dipped in white chocolate, and decorated with edible markers that none of your guests will be able to resist.

Ingredients:

• 200 gm marshmallows
• 85 gm white chocolate chips
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• Edible markers
• Black gel icing

Method:

1. You have to start by putting a lollipop stick into each marshmallow.
2. After that, melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. Add vanilla extract to the white chocolate.
3. Dip each marshmallow completely into the melted chocolate.
4. This is the fun part where you get to draw ghostly faces on your treats with edible markers.
5. You must not forget to add black gel icing for the eyes.